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Week of April 13-19, 1987Easter Holiday: On CampusGryffindor vs. Hufflepuff:March 15
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DADA NEWT Level Friday, 2/20; 12:45-1:45 PM OWL Level Friday, 2/20; 10:30-1:30 PM ASTRONOMY 1st & 2nd Years Thursday, 2/19; 11:59 PM toFriday, 2/20; 1:30 AM
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Sep 23 13 9:41 PM
Brigitte CunninghamSixth Year GryffindorPatient of St. Mungos Stocked up on crazy
Josiah HallRavenclaw - 1983Hit WizardTaking Things in StrideAmber Hall Gryffindor-1983 Experimental CharmsCommittee Member Embrace Life
Charity HollowayRavenclaw - 1981Personal AssistantDays on End Thierry CollierRavenclaw-1970Lost and InsecureTrial and Error
Blain McTiernan Gryffindor-1969 Collier & Rheese Researcher Doubly Exhausted Triple in Love
Posts: 2211
Member Since: 03/28/06
Sep 23 13 9:56 PM
Dennis WaltersFourth Year Gryffindor Gryffindor BeaterTweedledum
Alistair ffleurbert Gryffindor-1985 Ab-Fab Wizard Prang!
Humphrey Skrumpkin Hufflepuff-1985 Butterball
Sioni Rhys ap Emerys Hufflepuff-1983 Falmouth Falcon Beater
RIP:James Potter 10/31/1981
Not Getting Any Younger
“It’s November thirtieth,”
More than a month away, and sufficiently distant from Christmas that two separate gifts would be required. Excellent! Except for one thing. Ava, apparently was anti gift!
“But you don’t have to get me anything. Really, you don’t.”
No protestations were allowed, apparently, because she was kissing him, and that, surely took precedence. They were quick, affectionate kisses, mere pecks, though none the less welcome for all of that. Still the question of giving Ava things was vexing.
“Honestly. Just erase that from you mind.”
“But but butbutbut…”
“There…now what were we talking about? Oh, right, how sweet you are.” She grinned.
“Well that’s jolly nice, of course. And I promise I won’t make a thingy… an issue of it, but… well… am I not allowed to want to give you things? I mean, small things, of course. Portable. Petite.” He held his fingers about a quarter of an inch apart. “Wee?” He tried.
Sep 24 13 7:15 PM
Sep 24 13 8:02 PM
This was nothing but odd. An entirely new sensation. He had a girl clinging to his arm, giggling and kissing him. For ffleurbert it was all uncharted waters.
Which made it an adventure, by definition. Of course, ffleurbert was unaware of the definition of an adventure that goes: ‘Some God-awful thing that happens to you that makes a good story afterward.’ This was just as well, because it would have blighted an otherwise splendid day.
“Aww, you are sweet,”
“I am? Odd, no one else has ever mentioned it.” Not even the Mater. Possibly one of the Stable-girls? When he was tiny?
“Okaaay,” she told him. “As long as it is this small.”
ffleurbert studied the gap between Ava’s fingers. Allowing for some exaggeration, plus the fact that they had no accurate means of measuring the gap, he felt sure he could manage something that size without too much difficulty. A two carat stone at about eight-point-five millimeters would certainly fit. But, given some kind of mounting he’d best go for something in the one and a half caret range.
Standing up ffleurbert smiled. “Right,” he said. “I can do something with that.
“So you are going to have to get creative.”
“Oh, I believe I can do creative. Or, failing that, find someone who can.” He was feeling much more confident about the whole thing now.
Ava grinned. “I get full reign over your gift though,”
“Meaning what? I’ll not have you flogging off anything I give you, don’tcher know.” Not that he thought it likely. “No, when I give you something I believe it has to stay given.”
He was taller than Ava. Not for the first time, ffleurbert realized that this was yet another benefit to having a slightly younger girlfriend. He kissed her lightly on the top of her head and put his arm around her shoulder.
“Right, now that we have got that out of the way, let’s find a sunny spot and make plans.” He led the way in a desultory circuit of the courtyard, but found most of the sunny spots taken by other couples, in the main. There was a rather nice spot in an archway, that had two tinies in it, so ffleurbert led the way there.
“Right, young’uns. Hop it,” He said amiably.
“Why?”
“Well, if you don’t I’ll give you a thick ear, to teach you respect for your elders and betters,” Said ffleurbert, still smiling. “But if you do, I’ve got a chocolate frog for you to share. Your choice.”
They chose the frog.
After drying the stonework with a wave of his wand, ffleurbert spread his uniform robe on it and settled next to Ava.
“Well, this is nice,” He said, and pulled her up against him. “Now see here, Avaline, we need to make some arrangements, don’tcher know. It’s all well and good leaving our meeting up to chance, but I for one require something a bit more definite. I figure we’ve got about a week until the wet weather sets in, so we have to find somewhere to meet in the dry. I’m open to suggestions, of course, but our best bets are the Library, the Study Hall, the Student Lounge thingy, and…” He gave Ava a kiss on the nose, to make sure she was attending, “The Trophy room.”
He shifted his weight a little and took one of her hands and began studying it. Small fingers…. Her index was hardly any bigger than his pinky. Making her ring finger about … two sizes smaller?
“The Library, as you know,” He said, studying her nails carefully, “tends to be difficult to talk in, should talking be required.” He kissed her gently on the mouth, to demonstrate that it wasn’t always. “The Study hall is alright if one wants to do any homework, I suppose, and I know we’ll have to do that from time to time..” He nibbled at the tip of her middle finger absently.
“And the Student Lounge is filled with all and sundry. But I think you’ll find nobody ever goes to the Trophy room except on detention. But!” He let go of her hand and raised an admonishing finger, “It isn’t actually necessary to have detention to go there. Right. Comments? Feed-back? Any other suggestions? I am not dictatorial in these matters.”
And to show his general good will, he kissed her again, to give her time to think.
Sep 24 13 8:23 PM
Sep 24 13 8:43 PM
He would have to work on his listening. Though, ffleurbert was having far too much fun talking piffle himself to listen too closely to what Ava said. The business about presents, for instance.
“No, no, no,” she said in her baby voice again. “I mean…I don’t have any limits on a gift for your birthday.”
“OH! Right! I see. Gotcher.” Though why would she want to give him a birthday present? Ffleurbert blinked rapidly and considered. Wait! She liked him, right? And she seemed to like him more all the time. It was really quite fantastic. And everything — everything — he did seemed to suit her.
A match made in Hogwarts, clearly.
Eventually she pulled away, giggling. “Oh…no, you are perfect on these matters,” she told him, grinning. “Studying must happen but,” she blushed, “I like the idea of some…personal time too.”
“If Im going to be honest, I’m not a great scholar, you know. Skrumpkin gets better marks and he’s a Hufflepuff, don’tcher know. OH!” He slapped his hand over his mouth. Ava was a Hufflepuff, idiot!
“Not that Hufflepuffs aren’t bright, or anything, but what I mean is, I’m pretty average even for a Gryffindor. Never had a hope of getting’ in the other tower, kind of thing. But still, I might be able to give you a hand with some things. What with havin’ at least passed all of my classes up to now. And I suppose I’d better put in some time on the old NEWT’s.” He though gloomily of the Ancient Runes translation he had waiting for him.
“I’m pretty good with Charms, I think. Though it might just be old Flitters taking pity.”
“I think we need to mess around with this; find a place that we like and call our own.”
“Aboslutiment, my girl. Now I wonder…. I really should be able to think of a nice hidy-hole, not too drafty, and out of the way. I’ll put my mind to it.” Though not right then. They were doing fine just where they were.
“Maybe somewhere we could do a little lurking?” He suggested, grinning.
"Ohhhh, Hogsmead. We are going to have SO much fun there."
“We are indeed,” ffleurbert agreed, though he had no idea what they should do. Mostly he bought sweets, hung around with Todd or Skrumph and went to the pub. What did one do with the likes of Ava? Wait! She might have some plans herself.
“Where would you like to go first?”
Sep 24 13 9:11 PM
Sep 25 13 11:34 AM
“I’ll think too. Two brains are better than one after all.”
As a rule this is true. Though as the older inhabitant of Hogwarts, and a boy, ffleurbert figured he had a better knowledge of the possible hidey-holes in the castle. Still, one never knew, and Ava was a bright enough girl.
Plans for Hogsmeade were set in motion.
“Oooh, I do love lurking!” she said. “We are both so good at it!”
“I admit it has a special place in my heart,” Said ffleurbert, reflecting on the previous summer’s escapades. “And we do both excel.”
“We have a thing!” she exclaimed.
“We do?” Said ffleurbert. Ava was practically wriggling with excitement. “Oh! Lurking! Right you are; we do at that. We have a thing.” He smiled. He’d never had a thing with a girl before. He liked the idea.
“You’re letting me choose?”
“But of course.”
“Okay…well, I usually like getting candy. Lots of candy.”
“Well, that’s easy, then. I’m allowed to buy you sweets, I hope? I mean, bigger than this?” He held is fingers the regulation gift size apart. “Sweets don’t count as gifts. They just don’t.” He would stand firm on this, or he’d never get to do anything for Ava at all. “But we can start at Honeyduke’s, if you like.”
“But we can do what you want,” she assured him. “There’s two of us,” she reminded him.
There certainly was. There was, and it was wonderful. It was kind of … calming to know there was an Avaline waiting to see him. Wanting to lurk together (Their Thing) and go places. He honestly didn’t know a bean about her, and it didn’t seem to matter. Which was oddly refreshing.
“Zonkos? Shrieking Shack?”
“Zonkos for certain,” He said. “There is no end of good things one … or two, as it were, could set loose and watch people reacting to. And I believe we should get some disappearing ink from the stationer’s. The better for the sending of billets-doux. One doesn’t want notes falling into the wrong hands. Then… yes, possibly the Shrieking Shack. There will be a new crop of third years anxious to plumb its mysteries. With a little work and some clever lurking I think we could add to its reputation, don’tcher know? In fact, Ava, my little kumquat, I believe you have hit upon the perfect plan. We’ll finish at the Three Broomsticks for an even better meal than last time and walk home, very slowly, through the woods at eve.”
Sep 25 13 7:04 PM
Sep 26 13 9:35 AM
Planning went on apace and ffleurbert was amazed at the way in which he assumed the guiding hand. He never saw himself as leader-material. Lack of interest, he supposed. But Ava seemed to want him to take the lead, and he seemingly couldn’t put a foot wrong in her eyes.
“Okay, okay…I suppose I can let you buy me some sweets,” she said, heaving a huge, dramatic sigh. “But we shall share them, Mister!”
“Oh, that goes without saying, sweet.”
Having got her demonstrated stamp of approval and an even better mark of approbation applied to his lips, ffleurbert was a contented man.
Beware contentment; trouble has a way of finding the contented.
There was a harrumphing that bode no good, and then two males of indeterminate age were looming over Ava and him.
“Hello?” ffleurbert ventured.
“You’re ffleurbert,” Theo said.
“I readily admit it,” Said ffleurbert, not quite getting the point but sensing that they thought it no good thing.
“My sister’s boyfriend.” Gormley added.
“Erm… if Avaline is your sister, than I must admit it…”
“The one that’s taken her away from us,” Theo then said
ffleurbert looked from Theo to Gormley to Ava and back in slow succession.
“Is there a problem?” He then asked. He would have stood up, which would have equalized things rather, because he was taller than Theo, certainly. But he had his arm around Ava and wasn’t about to let go.
“Actually, as you can see, I have not taken her away. Here she is, all present and correct. There stand you, in no way inconvenienced, should you want to talk to her. Thus, ipso facto, not taken away. Now I feel certain that there have been numerous times in the past when Avaline has been occupied elsewhere and you have not felt the lack of her presence. Given that this is the first time I’ve clapped eyes on you both, I can’t think you’ve really been all that bereft. So, really, where do you come up with the idea that I have taken her away?” With is free hand he pointed at Ava.
“She’s right here!” He exclaimed. The ‘You idiots,’ was implied, not spoken.
Sep 26 13 5:12 PM
Sep 28 13 7:56 PM
Ffleurbert had no sister, though he was acquainted with the concept. Skrumpkin had a sister, and there was a time when she used to run around after them both, when they would let her. Then Millie got a pony, and they never saw her again.
Ffleurbert had cousins, and as far as he was aware, they were a kind of obligatory seasonal interruption. You saw them at Christmas, and, if you had to, over the summer. Otherwise they were indistinguishable from strangers. So the idea that somehow his presence had impinged on these fellow’s visiting rights was absurd.
But he was a gentleman, or so he hoped, so he didn’t point out the absurdity, but listened, with a kind of bored fascination.
“Oh we understand. We’re just used to spending a lot more time with her.”
That sounded like an imposition.
“We see that she’s here,” he answered, rolling his eyes, “it’s just kind of hard to spend time with her when she’s snogging her boyfriend.”
“I should jolly well hope so…” Said ffleurbert, a little miffed that this bloke chose to put it that way, but still he was, as everyone agreed, Ava’s boyfriend.
“We weren’t snogging!” Ava insisted before giggling. “Well, maybe a little.” She even blushed.
Turning to Avaline, ffleurbert smiled, rather more than was necessary, but it was for the boy’s benefit. “That wasn’t snogging, little butterfly, that was just an apéritif!”
“So, what are your intentions for my dear cousin?”
This was a question ffleurbert could understand. And in fact, his opinion of the two lads changed radically once it was put. And he was ready for it, although he had anticipated it coming from another quarter. (Ava’s father) He nodded.
“Ah,” He said. “Now I understand. And you will appreciate that although I consider it none of your business whatsoever, I will, I hope, satisfy your curiosity.”
“We may need to find a place of our own sooner rather than later.”
Glancing toward Ava again, ffleurbert smiled, a gentler, warmer smile. “As ever, you are right, my dove.” Turning back to Ava’s family, as represented by her brother and cousin, ffleurbert squared his shoulders.
“My intentions have never been less than honorable. You have my word as a ffleurbert on that. Though just what that might entail, I admit I have no idea. As of yet, Avaline and I are still in the exploratory stages. As to where our explorations might lead us, I intend to leave entirely up to her. If your sister-cousin is happy, I am happy. If she becomes unhappy, I will seek to remedy it. Beyond that, I am not inclined to tell you.”
Standing he held out his hand to Ava. “Come, mistress mine, and let us seek someplace quieter.” He turned and looked at Theo, “Where we can do our snogging without interruption.”
Sep 28 13 9:31 PM
Sep 29 13 8:42 PM
Though puzzled by the whole tenor of the encounter with Ava’s family, ffleurbert was delighted by her part in it. Being described as ‘a keeper’ was gratifying, even if he wasn’t precisely sure what she meant by it.
In any case they were rid of the attentions of her brother et al, and he could relax. Insofar as he could relax at all around Ava. Because truth be told, her constant displays of affection and frequent kisses were bordering on the frightening. He still couldn’t believe his luck! This little Jujube seemed positively enamored of him! And all he’d done was be passably nice to her and talked no end of twattle.
She seemed to like the twattle, too.
“We’re close,” she told ffleurbert, as way of an apology for her family’s behavior. “We really are going to snog?”
“Well, yes, love, if that’s what you want. I was serious when I said I wasn’t going to force anything on you. We might chat a bit though.” He should offer an alternative. And besides, he hardly knew the girl, really.
“Well, I think we will be plenty alone here. I don’t think even Theo and Gorm could find us here.” Ava grinned.
Ffleurbert looked around the alcove and up the stairs. He remembered the spot vaguely. Then it struck him.
“Divination,” He said. “The only time anyone comes this way is to and from Divination. You’re quite right, my kumquat, it’s perfect.” He’d gone to exactly three sessions of Divination before dropping it, telling the batty old woman who ran the class that he could predict with 100% certainty that he would fail the class if he kept it up. She seemed satisfied with his soothsaying and let him go without demure.
Pulling out his pocket handkerchief, (Unused these past six years) and gave the stone bench a flap, clearing off the dust and the remains of what looked like a bird’s nest.
“Here we are,” He said, patting the seat beside him. “It’s quiet and it’s dry. The only disadvantage I can see is that it’s pretty useless for lurking, as it has no view to speak of.”
Ava settled in next to him and curled up against him like a kitten. A kissable kitten.
“Now then,” He said, his voice suddenly shaky, and strangely deep, “After the appetizer, the… the..finger food!”He sadi with sudden inspiration. Taking Ava’s hand he kissed the back, and then the palm and the wrist, on the inner side. Suddenly and uninvited the voice of Lionel Skrumpkin, Skrumph’s father came to him. ‘When in doubt, pretend expertise,’ the former butcher had said. He was talking about sports at school, but ffleurbert saw that the advice had wider application.
He began working his way up Avaline’s bare arm, nuzzling and kissing softly. Suddenly he made a dive for her neck, just below her ear.
“Yum,” He purred. His hand slid up her arm, and folded around the back of her head, his fingers combing the hair on the back of her neck.
He kissed her ear, her cheek, the tip of her nose, and then settled lightly on her lips, kissing once, twice, three times; brief little pecks, before covering her whole mouth with his.
This, ffleurbert thought, is heaven in Hogwarts.
Who would have guessed?
Sep 29 13 9:53 PM
Sep 30 13 9:00 PM
He’d seen it in some old film, and had always thought it was a kind of a joke or something, but kissing his way up Ava’s arm had succeeded beyond ffleurbert’s wildest dreams. Especially the bit on the side of her neck, which he found strangely exciting himself.
And clearly Ava had liked it. In fact he was having trouble breathing, she was so enthusiastic.
“Merlin, ffleurbert, are you trying to make me faint?”
Not really. Just… make it nice. For both of them. Which was why, when she ended up kneeling on the stone seat he finally took her face in his hands and pulled his lips wasy from her.
“Hold on, princess. There’s a better way than that.” And with that he scooper her up and pulled her onto his lap. The wall behind the bench gave him something to lean against and with his arm around her shoulder, he could pretty much hold her indefinitely. This left ffleurbert’s left hand free, and for a bit he didn’t know what to do with it, until it found its way more or less by accident onto her thigh.
From there it seemed pretty reasonable to let it work its way up to her hip, and then into the little hollow under her ribs. Much further would require permission, he figured so he let it stay there.
Somewhere around this point, Ava’s lips kind of opened, and so did ffleurbert’s and then it was as if they were trying to eat each other, and ffleurbert’s way-ward left hand made a break for it, and ended up fluttering between cupping Ava’s breast and running down to her bottom. With a desperate act of self-control, ffleurbert reached up and found the back of her head and proceeded to get his fingers entangled in her hair, to keep them out of trouble.
The trouble with having a girl on your lap, ffleurbert discovered at this point, was that it was kind of… restricting. And he was feeling painfully restricted. With a quick shift of weight, he abruptly stuck his left leg our and slipped Ava onto his right thigh, pulling her head down onto his chest. Problem solved, and he could also catch his breath.
“My goodness,” Breathed ffleurbert. “Oh, my godfathers… You. Are. Something. Else.” He gave his head a little shake as if to clear it. “I can only say I’m glad your family are at a good safe distance.” He gave her another three or four quick kisses, and ran his hand over her hair again. “So… so… so , admitting that I am unused to …well, really having a girlfriend at all… Gosh.” He took her face between his fingers and studied her face.
“Have I mentioned that I think you are absolutely lovely? An oversight, I assure you. It must have,” He kissed her, “Slipped my mind somehow. Now. Let’s see. We said we’d chat. So… tell me about your cousin and your brother and that. They don’t really mind me do they? Not that it’s going to make any difference, because you are not getting away, my little rose bud. But, you know, I’d hate to be the cause or domestic strife.”
Sep 30 13 10:04 PM
Oct 2 13 11:54 AM
Everything was going swimmingly, as far as ffleurbert was concerned. Better than swimmingly, in fact. It was more like…. more like… Actually It wasn’t like anything else. It was like getting kissed by an amazing, beautiful, soft, sexy, happy girl.
And then he mentioned her family.
Looking away, she nodded. “They’re fine with you. They were just giving you a hard time but they’re harmless.”
“Ah, yes, but..”
And then she kissed him again. Which was just fine, but.
“Still, I wouldn’t want to..”
“You’re fine,” she assured him.
“I am?”
“Sooo, how bout that quidditch?”
“What?”
Ffleurbert was dumfounded. Quidditch? Quidditch? Why the heck was she talking about Quidditch?
Perhaps she was a fan. Or her father played for some team or other.
Was he supposed to know that?
“So.. erm.. well, yes. Ah. Quidditch. Fine game. Uh. I don’t play of course, because… because…” Oh shit. He might as well get it over.
“Well, to be honest, my darling little sweet-pea, I don’t fly. I am the world’s worst broom-handler. We do not get on together, me and the broomstick. And as a kind of corollary, I’m not terribly up on the old Quidditch. Not that I actively eschew the game. I go to all the Gryffindor matches. House spirit and all… but…” He looked at her pleadingly.
“Do you want me to take you to the matches or something? I shall. No difficulty. Only…well.” He took her hands in his.
“You’ll have to explain it to me. Skrumpkin tried but gave up the first time I asked him why. He said if I didn’t understand that, I’d never understand at all, so he gave up and I gave up and … well, that was that.”
Oct 2 13 5:12 PM
Oct 6 13 1:54 PM
He was almost sure he had read somewhere that to keep a girl interested you should talk about her. Ask her questions about her family; her interests. Well, ffleurbert had tried, but Ava had derailed his train of thought so successfully that he never really noticed. Faced with the embarrassment of admitting that he neither liked Quidditch nor flew, he promptly forgot that he’d ever asked her about her family.
Later on he would puzzle over the fact, briefly, but ffleurbert was never one to think too deeply about such things, and he steadfastly refused to worry about it.
Instead he listened to Ava’s suggestions.
“We would have the run of the whole castle probably. Just the two of us. Lots of room for lurking."
“True for you, sweet. Though we would be more or less restricted to the hiding part of lurking, as there would be no one to spy on. Mind you,” He added enthusiastically, “Almost anyone we did spy on would certainly be worth it. Because, think about it: anybody other than us, who stayed away from the Quidditch would most likely be up to no good. Which is exactly why we would want to lurk and watch them.” They would of course be exempt from this interpretation; they would be lurking with no evil intent.
From lurking in the castle, ffleurbert’s mind naturally drifted to other lurking haunts, most especially his house.
“Back home is rather good for lurking. The house has a rather splendid back stair, for the maids and footmen and such, don’tcher know. But just right for Skrumph and I to snoop about. Then there was the dumb waiter. That’s a kind of lift thing, from the kitchen to the upstairs butler’s pantry. It’s meant for food, of course, but it will hold a nine year old boy perfectly well. Well, when I say, perfectly, perhaps I should mention that for Skrumph it was rather snug.”
Snug enough that his friend had become wedged, in fact, but as Skrumpkin was extracted unharmed and before his parents found out, it didn’t count.
“The garden is rather good for lurking, even without bamboo screens. The hedge maze would be better if it was actually taller than two feet, but it has its uses. Then there are the paddocks. Not good in themselves, but the hedges are nice. And there is a sunken lane behind the stables that makes for good lurking. You can go all the way onto the commons without being seen, if you are careful.”
He smiled happily, remembering summers past, before even starting at Hogwarts.
“And of course, you can lurk on the roof, behind the balustrade.” Innocently he turned to Ava.
“Where do you lurk, at home, my little bunny?”
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